2008 Woodie Awards
Memorial day salute to DA vets
Active duty Marine and student John Potter adjusts to college life
Audrey Barker
Issue date: 5/27/08 Section: Features
John Potter, administration of justice major, active duty Marine and Iraq War veteran has been in the armed services for nine years.
"The difference between me and the typical De Anza student is I can't help feeling old," Potter said jokingly while sitting at a table with some younger classmates.
Believing that he couldn't rely solely on his military experience, Potter began pursuing his education at De Anza College.
For him, being around non military people again has been interesting. The military is a separate society in which a "big brother" is constantly watching over you, he said.
Once you're outside the military, nobody tells you when to eat or how to dress. Veterans have to go through a transitional period and realize that they are now solely responsible for their actions.
Potter said, "Veterans are definitely very focused on our studies. We aren't here to meet girls or to engage in a second high school experience; we are focused on a specific goal."
He has met a lot of great people at De Anza, and has described his time at the college as a period of overall enrichment.
Interim Vice President of Instruction and Vietnam War veteran John Swensson said, "De Anza has long been a safe place for veterans, and partners closely with local veterans' hospitals."
He further noted that some of these students are dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which can cause retention problems.
The Disabled Student Service and Educational Diagnostic Center are both programs that seek to help veterans adjust to the academic atmosphere. The services supplied for these veterans through these programs include learning disability assistance, transition assistance, registration assistance, note taking and tutor referral, among others.
Swensson said, "These veterans have served their country with great honor and have learned skills within that service that supply them with a special type of leadership."
The De Anza College Library houses the DeCillis Vietnam Conflict Collection, which is the second largest in the country.
The collection was donated by Paul Decillis, who, according to the De Anza College Web site, began to collect out of "a deep personal conviction that eventually people would desire to read more about the war."
More recently, the library began to extend its collection by incorporating books and memorabilia from the Iraqi and Afghani wars.
Audrey Barker is a staff reporter for La Voz. Contact her at audreybarker@lavozdeanza.com.
"The difference between me and the typical De Anza student is I can't help feeling old," Potter said jokingly while sitting at a table with some younger classmates.
Believing that he couldn't rely solely on his military experience, Potter began pursuing his education at De Anza College.
For him, being around non military people again has been interesting. The military is a separate society in which a "big brother" is constantly watching over you, he said.
Once you're outside the military, nobody tells you when to eat or how to dress. Veterans have to go through a transitional period and realize that they are now solely responsible for their actions.
Potter said, "Veterans are definitely very focused on our studies. We aren't here to meet girls or to engage in a second high school experience; we are focused on a specific goal."
He has met a lot of great people at De Anza, and has described his time at the college as a period of overall enrichment.
Interim Vice President of Instruction and Vietnam War veteran John Swensson said, "De Anza has long been a safe place for veterans, and partners closely with local veterans' hospitals."
He further noted that some of these students are dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which can cause retention problems.
The Disabled Student Service and Educational Diagnostic Center are both programs that seek to help veterans adjust to the academic atmosphere. The services supplied for these veterans through these programs include learning disability assistance, transition assistance, registration assistance, note taking and tutor referral, among others.
Swensson said, "These veterans have served their country with great honor and have learned skills within that service that supply them with a special type of leadership."
The De Anza College Library houses the DeCillis Vietnam Conflict Collection, which is the second largest in the country.
The collection was donated by Paul Decillis, who, according to the De Anza College Web site, began to collect out of "a deep personal conviction that eventually people would desire to read more about the war."
More recently, the library began to extend its collection by incorporating books and memorabilia from the Iraqi and Afghani wars.
Audrey Barker is a staff reporter for La Voz. Contact her at audreybarker@lavozdeanza.com.
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